Baldur's Gate 3 offers players the ability to navigate a plethora of moral choices, shaping the journey and consequences for each character. Astarion, a notable companion, serves as an example of how good and bad choices can yield complex outcomes that are not straightforwardly beneficial or detrimental. This blog post delves into Astarion's story arc, exploring the outcomes of different moral choices and how they relate to his character development.
Moral Choices and Their Varied Outcomes in Baldur's Gate 3
In Baldur's Gate 3, players can either choose an Origin character to experience the game or create a custom character, recruiting pre-made characters as companions. Each recruited companion has a set of personal quests that unfold as the game progresses. Though not obligatory for completing the game, engaging in these quests provides valuable insight into each character's development and consequences.
The Price of Astarion's Morally Good Ending
Choosing the morally upright path for Astarion involves refusing to let him replace Cazador in a ritual to become an Ascendant Vampire. This decision liberates Astarion from Cazador's influence, while also sparing the lives of other characters involved in the ritual. However, this freedom comes at a cost: Astarion remains a Vampire Spawn indefinitely. The implications of this decision are fully revealed at the game's end if the player successfully destroys the Absolute.
Hints about the future hardships Astarion may face are embedded in various dialogues. For instance, questions about his ability to withstand sunlight provide a glimpse into the constraints of his Vampire Spawn status. Astarion conjectures that his resilience against certain vampiric weaknesses could be due to an unidentified power that also prevents the party from turning into Mindflayers.
Upon destroying the Absolute, a cutscene reveals Astarion burning in the sunlight. Freed from Cazador's control but unable to ascend, Astarion must revert to obeying the rules that govern Vampire Spawns. This ending, although morally good, does not grant him complete freedom, leaving a bittersweet sentiment in its wake.